Chapter 7:
I just started walking. My heart was pounding so much I could hear it in my ears. My head was swirling with so many thoughts that I almost forgot to breath. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I might as well have been a baby. I knew nothing about real life. I didn't even know what a blister was until that day.
I ran into my first Wasteland critter. It was a giant ant, about as big as a medium-sized dog. I didn't shoot it until it approached. It was easy to put down once I stopped missing.
Thankfully, I wasn't traveling blind. My Pip-Boy had a map. I deleted all of the locations it used to have on it, since there were most likely piles of rubble now. I hoped the terrain had remained largely unchanged though, because that's all I was left with. I had input the location for GNR. It was east of Megaton. I decided to walk using what remained of the roads to get there.
I came to a river that had been reduced to half its original water level. The bridge over it was covered with land mines, so I went under. When I came up on the other side, I almost had my head shot off. I dropped to the ground and crawled behind a concrete divider. I pulled out my pistol and peaked over my cover, exposing as little as possible of myself. There were two guys there with rifles. They had swarthy, dirty skin and wore spikes and leather.
"Hey girly!" one of them called. "Shame I gotta bust up that pretty little face of yours. Maybe we can work somethin' out?" I heard him coming closer. I guess it was obvious that I was very afraid. I tried to think of what to do, but I wasn't fast enough. He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me up. I seized my chance and put my pistol up to his heart and squeezed the trigger. He was dead before he hit the ground.
"Shit! SHIT!" screamed the other. I grabbed the dead guy's rifle and ducked back behind the cover. I aimed and shot at him and hit his leg. "Fuck this, man!" he dropped his gun and limped away, as if encountering a non-helpless victim was something he hadn't even imagined.
If I had known then that I had just encountered two of the Capital Wasteland's most pathetic Raiders, I might have given up right then. At least I got some new gear out of the deal.
The sun was getting low, and the map said I was getting close. I was hoping I'd make it to GNR by nightfall. I came across an old Metro Subway Station, I wasn't the only one there. There were about 7 raiders that had set up camp. They weren't about to move any time soon. I decided that I would try to sneak by and get into the station unnoticed, but they saw me. I ran as fast as I could into the station, hoping to lose them. To my surprise, they didn't even follow me.
The air down there was thick and stale and filled with wisps of smoke. Fortunately, not all of the lights in the station hadn't gone out, so I could see. The unmistakeable stench of death wafted towards me. I turned on the radio to calm my nerves. There was almost no static now. At least I knew that meant I was going the right way. At the end of the tunnel, there was a faint, flickering orange light. I raised my rifle to be ready and I carefully made my way to the broken turnstiles at the end of the hallway.
The tunnel scooped down a little and then opened up into the train platforms and the source of the light and the smoke. Someone had a mini-bonfire going. I aimed for a shadowy figure crouched by the flames and cocked my gun to alert them that I was there and armed. They stood up and turned to me. They let out a noise that sounded like more like a cough than a roar. I backed up slowly. He ran to me. It was too dark to see any features, but his silhouette gave the impression of emaciation.
"I'll shoot!" I warned. Then he, or it rather, stepped into my light. I let out a scream when I saw its hideous form. I shot twice and landed a hit right on it's forehead. Once I resumed breathing, I examined it. Its skeletal structure was indisputably human. I could make out almost every bone on its fatless body. Its skin looked raw and painful. Its glassy eyes and missing nose reminded me of Gob, but Gob had retained his humanity, unlike this thing.
I began to feel woozy. This was right out of a nightmare. I started to feel very claustrophobic as I realized how small the space was. I backed up against the wall and started to sob. Why was this happening? Why wasn't I back in the vault where my biggest problem was the Overseer breathing down my neck? This was real. This was really real and happening to me. I felt like I would puke my guts out. Pure terror had grasped me. I knew what death was, and I knew I could die, but for the first time my own demise was a very reachable concept. When you live in a Vault, you don't think about that kind of thing.
"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" I told myself. It was like one part of me was scolding the other. I stopped crying and got up. I promised myself that would be the last of my tears until I found dad. No more pity parties, no more whining.
I went down into the eastbound tunnel and started running. I wanted out of there. Not to far along the tracks, I came across a pair of those things. I took one down before they even saw me and killed the other one while he was running for me.
"Hellooooooo, Capital Wasteland! This isThree Dog, ooowwwww! Coming to you loud and proud from Galaxy News Radio!" I hadn't expected to hear a loud voice, and my heart almost jumped out of my chest. "Lot'sa stuff goin' down in Post-Apocalyptia these days! Here's some of the latest news! Not too long ago, I reported that a cat recently left Vault 101."
I stopped in my tracks and listened to his next words carefully.
"His name is James. Good guy." he continued.
"Daddy..." I said to myself.
"Turns out, it get's better! I've got a new report here that says somebody else has climbed outta that hole. What the hell is goin' on down there? Revolution? Vacation? Somebody fart?! Your guess is as good as mine, kiddies. Thanks for listening, children! This is Three Dog, ooowwwww! And your listening to Galaxy News Radio! We're a radio-free Wasteland, and we're here, for you! And now, some music."
It was good to know that Moriarty hadn't been lying. I guess he was half-decent when he wanted to be. Dad had gone to GNR, just like Moriarty said. I started going faster. At the end of the tunnel, I ran into another humanoid creature, but this one was very different from the others. It was at least two feet taller than I was, and was bulging with muscles. It saw me right away and grunted as it grabbed a wooden board with nails through it. It charged. I unloaded a full clip into its chest before it finally died. I was almost out. I ran as fast as I could. I ran up the stairs and rushed to the exit. I can't tell you how good it felt to get out of that place. When I stepped up to ground level, I saw that I was in a completely different place. I was in a metropolitan area, in drastic contrast to the desert-like wastes. I could make out the battered Washington Monument against the night sky. I checked my map for which way to go and continued walking.
Two of those big monsters came around from behind a building. They were very close, and I had no cover. They had rifles instead of melee-weapons. I managed to shoot one in the head, but I missed the other. It shot at me and I got hit in the shoulder. I let out a little cry as I tried to hold my gun steady with my injured arm. I shot again, only hitting it in the leg. It shot again, and I dropped just as it whizzed over my head. But now I knew I was fucked because I was on the ground with absolutely no cover. By the time I got to my feet I'd be dead. Before it could shoot me again, a red beam of light shot out to it and it fell over dead.
I looked to the source of the attack and saw several heavily armoured people on the other side of a trench. I hurried over to them. While I was safe, I started to tend to my wound. I sat on the ground and got to work when one of my rescuers stood over me. I looked up to find a woman, not much older than myself, glaring at me. Her angry stare didn't match her dainty features. Her small head looked out of place protruding from her massive armour suit. The shoulders alone looked like they were swallowing her up.
"Look, I don't know who you are, but you don't belong here." she snapped. "The Super Mutants have overrun our brothers at the Galaxy News Radio building, and we're headed there to back them up. You can tag along if you want. But keep your head down, and try not to do anything... stupid."
I ignored her hostility and extended my good hand for a shake.
"Thanks for the assist. I didn't know this place was so dangerous." I managed a weak smile.
"You been living under a rock? This is D.C. The entire city is crawling with Super Mutants. Now if you'll excuse me..."
"You mentioned something about Galaxy News Radio?" I asked.
"There aren't a lot of safe places in the ruins right now, but the Galaxy News Radio building is sort of our port in the storm. Unfortunately, the building's been hit pretty hard lately. We're their backup. So if there are no more questions, we really need to move out." She walked away before I could even ask who she was. It seemed now wasn't the time for a full treatment, so I used a stimpack to hold me over and followed her. Around the corner, I almost tripped over the body of another person in armour.
"What's our situation?" she asked one of her comrades. Besides her and one other, the rest of them had helmets on.
"All clear, Sentinel." He replied dutifully. "Five mutants released from their torment. The rest are keeping their heads down." His voice sounded processed through his helmet.
"Good." She replied. She turned to the man lying on the ground. "Jennings?"
"Negative." Replied another. They noticed me for the first time. "A new recruit?"
"Just a stray we picked up. The one that blundered into the Uglies over on 42nd." She answered, as if she couldn't wait to get off the subject.
"Welcome." he said in a cheery voice. I wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort me or if he was being sarcastic.
"All right. It's the usual drill. Reddin, you just do whatever Paladin Vargas says and keep your mouth shut." She said to helmeted soldier.
"Yes ma'am." they replied in a woman's voice.
They started heading for the ruins of an old Elementary School. The things, which I assumed were the "Super Mutants" started firing on us. The woman that they had referred to as "Sentinel" led her team into the fray. She barked out orders as the others shouted things like
"To arms, Brothers!" and "For Elder Lyons!" I didn't want to think about how long it would have taken me to work my way through this place alone. I had tried to help them, but whatever I aimed for was dead before I shot. I hurried behind them, trying to stay as alert as possible. Finally we came to the GNR Plaza, which was filled with the green-skinned beasts. Now that the mutants were being shot on from two sides, they went down quickly. Everyone seemed to calm down, except for Reddin, who was more hyped up than ever.
"So how'd I do, Vargas? I pass my little trial run?" She said cockily. "Come on, Lyon's Pride needs me and you know it! That Citadel guard duty is such bullshit."
"Yeah, yeah. We'll see." Vargas grumbled. Reddin fired a few shots into the air to celebrate. "Now knock that off. You're wasting ammo."
"Aw, come on. We just kicked their asses!" she whined.
"We need to sweep the area. You think those were all the Uglies in D.C.? You take the east side, I'll go west." Vargas said crossly.
"Okay, okay." she sighed.
"Once we're inside, then we'll celebrate." Vargas said.
"Now you're talking!" Reddin said. She looked at me and gestured for me to come with her, so I did. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, followed by the sound of resonating metal, and then a haunting, monstrous cry into the night. Everyone got tense and raised their weapons.
"Holy shit! What was that?" Reddin cried. The booming started coming closer.
"What's happening?" I asked her. It kept getting closer.
"You don't need to worry. We're the best outfit in the whole Brotherhood of Steel. Just watch wha-" The old, toppled bus that Reddin had been standing in front of exploded. She took the brunt of the blast while I was flung several feet away. She must have died instantly.
I looked up, and when the smoke cleared I found myself looking at something even more terrible than anything I had encountered that day. It looked like a mutant, but this one was 20 feet tall. It had a fire hydrant attached to the end of a pole for a weapon, a car door for a shield, and a necklace with human heads as beads. I was so horrified I completely forgot to scream.
I scrambled backwards until something poked into my back. It was the tip of a large weapon that was lying beside a fallen soldier.
"Pick up the Fat Man!" One of the soldiers yelled to me.
"Fat Man?" I thought. I looked at the weapon and when I saw what it had as ammunition, I understood. It was some sort of mini-nuke launcher. It was very heavy, but I managed to aim it. I fired. A miniature mushroom cloud formed at the impact point. When the dust settled, I saw the beast limping towards me. I fired again. It was injured, but it kept coming. It was too close to everyone to shoot with the Fat Man now.
I took out an assault rifle I had taken from a mutant and unloaded everything I had into it. When it was empty I dropped it and started shooting with the hunting rifle. It still was coming for me. I looked around. Everyone was shooting it, but it wouldn't die. It swung it's weapon at me. It missed, but the impact on the concrete in front of me was enough to knock me off my feet. It raised it's arm again, but before it could bring the bludgeon down on my head, one of the knights took the final shot and killed it. I frantically rolled out of the way before its massive weight crushed me. I laid on my back for a bit until I caught my breath.
When I got up, Vargas was slumped on a bench. He had just found out that Reddin had been killed. The woman called Sentinel came up to him and placed a hand on the shoulder of his armour.
"It's not your fault, Vargas. Reddin was good enough for the Pride, and she proved it here today." She said.
"Yeah, I know." he clenched his fists. "God DAMMIT!!!"
"When we get back to the Citadel, I'll talk to the scribes." she said. "Let it be chronicled that Paladin Reddin passed her test." Vargas finally got up and sighed.
"Come on. Let's see if they've got anything to drink in this dump." He and the Sentinel headed for the door.
"Um, Sentinel, ma'am, excuse me..." I said.
"I guess it's my turn to thank you." she said. "Anyway, the area's secure, so you're free to talk to Three Dog if you need to."
"I'm sorry about Reddin..." I said, looking down at my feet.
"She died well. In the end, that's all that really matters." she said. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing.
I followed them into the building and was directed to where Three Dog was. I entered the door, and I saw a man standing at the top of a flight of stairs. I approached him. Before I could say anything, he spoke.
"The look on your face says it all. You're wondering who the heck this guy is and why you should care. Well, prepare to be enlightened. I am Three Dog – jockey of discs and teller of truths. Lord and master over the finest radio station to grace the Wastes – Galaxy News Radio." I was surprised to find he looked exactly how I had pictured him from his voice; a black man with sunglasses and a goatee. And you, well... I know who you are. Heard about you leavin' that Vault, travelin' the unknown. Just like dear old Dad, hmm? Met him already..."
"You know my father? Is he here? Please, I've been looking for him!" I exclaimed.
"Hey, hey. One thing at a time. Nah, your old man ain't here. Not anymore. He heard ole Three Dog on the radio, figured I knew what was what out here in the Capital Wasteland. And he was right. So I filled the old man in. But he split. Looks like I've got my way of contributing to the Good Fight... and he's got his own."
"The Good Fight?" I repeated. "What's that all about?" I could tell by his expression that he had been hoping I'd ask him that.
"Imagine a picture, okay? A picture of the Capital Wasteland. All that brick and rock. A whole lot of nothing, right? There's people out there trying to just barely make it from day to day. Fighting to stay alive and make something of what they got. But then you've got all kinds of shit... Slavers, Super Mutants, Raiders... They all want a slice of the pie too, and aim to take it by force."
"So you fight the Good Fight with your voice on Galaxy News Radio." I said. A giant grin spread across his face.
"Well, holy shit! Aren't you a chip off the old block? You ARE as smart as your dad. Since you know all about the cause, no need to explain the effect. Let's get you on your way."
"How did you know I was looking for my Dad?" I asked. I doubted Dad had mentioned me to Three Dog, or anyone for that matter.
"Oh come on. You're a spitting image of the guy. He's been here before, and now you're here. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out."
"If you know anything that can help me find my Dad, please just tell me..." I said.
" You want to find your dad, and it just so happens his location is known to yours truly. He was here, at Galaxy News. We had a great conversation. He's a real stand-up guy. If you want to know more, you're going to have to contribute to the Good Fight." he said.
"To find my Dad, I'm ready for anything. Good, 'cause this isn't going to be easy. Galaxy News Radio is my baby. I love it, I feed it, I keep it changed. But there's one problem, no one outside D.C. Can hear her cry. You see, some brainless Super Mutant thought it would be funny to shoot at the shiny round thing on the Washington Monument."
"I see where this is going." I said.
"Yep. That shiny thing was our broadcast relay. Now it's swiss cheese. Without it, our broadcast range is quite limited. Of course the factory that made the relay dishes is long gone. Levelled. As in, we're never gonna scavenge that part again."
"This is starting to sound risky, but I'll do anything to find my dad."
"It IS risky. I would never lie to you." He said, looking me square in the eye. "But there's something behind those eyes of yours that screams 'I'm the one that can get shit done'! Your dad had that same look in his eyes too. That's why Three Dog's helping you."
"All right. How can I help?" I asked.
"One of the Brotherhood guys that passed through here mentioned seeing a dish in one of D.C.'s old museums. It's the dish off of the old Virgo II Lunar Lander in the Museum of Technology. I want you to get it and bring it to the Washington Monument to replace the bad one. That's it."
I knew I was in no shape to go dashing off to a war-zone. I needed some time to rest and recuperate.
"Let me think about this. I don't know if I'm ready." I said.
"Wow, and here I thought you were in a rush. Whatever, man. Chat me up when you're ready."
I checked the time. It was 3:07 AM.
"Mind if I crash on your bed?" I asked. Before he could answer, I had already fallen asleep.
